Hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose

ABSTRACT

An improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose equipped with hook-and-loop type of hose-holding devices. The improved hose-holding undergarment is a garter belt, girdle, bustier, or the like with a plurality of hose-holding garter straps ( 30 A) each of which has a hose-holding hook ( 50 ) of predetermined shape and dimension on the free end of the garter strap. The corresponding hose ( 22 ) has a plurality of strap loops ( 22 A) of predetermined shape, dimension, and positions on the upper portion of the hose so that the hose-holding hooks ( 50 ) at the free ends of the garter straps can be detachably connected to corresponding strap loops ( 22 A) on the top portion of the corresponding hose ( 22 ). Compared to the conventional button-and-buttonhole type of hose-holding devices ( 40 ), the hook-and-loop type of hose-holding device of the present invention is simpler in structure, thinner in thickness, lighter in weight, surer in hose-gripping action, and easier to use.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose, and more specifically, a hose-holding undergarment with garter straps having a hose-holding hook at each of the free ends of the garter straps, and corresponding hose having strap loops on the top portion of the hose so that the hose-holding hooks of the garter straps on hose-holding undergarment can be detachably connected to the strap loops on the top portion of the corresponding hose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most hose-holding garter straps of conventional hose-holding undergarments, such as garter belts, girdles, bustier, or the like, have hose-holding devices or hose grippers whose structures are of button-and-buttonhole type, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. The hose grippers of U.S. Pat. No. 2,435,311 to Kimmell (1948), U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,190 to Kaldor (1951), U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,890 to Mock (1953), U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,063 to Jonas (1965), U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,405 to Porco (1970), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,622 to Rice (2002) are the variations of a button-and-buttonhole type of gripper.

The merit of such conventional hose grippers is that they can grip any part of the upper portion of hose. But they have several disadvantages as well, as follows:

-   1. Button-and-buttonhole type of grippers requires a meticulous     manipulation by the wearer to grip the hose, which takes care and     time. -   2. The button-and-buttonhole type of grippers sometimes and     unexpectedly loosens of its own accord and lets go of the hose,     which is a frustrating experience for the wearer. -   3. The button-and-buttonhole type of grippers is not proper for     fishnet hose or other delicate lacy hose. -   4. The cross-sectional thickness of a button-and-buttonhole type of     gripper is rather thick—about 4 mm or larger—so that it causes a     bumpy sensation to the skin of the wearer. -   5. Wearers do not know exactly which portions of the hose-top should     be gripped, so that wearers do the guess work every time they fasten     garter straps to hose. -   6. The tension that occurs on the upper portion of hose is     concentrated on a small point (button of the gripper), so that the     upper portion of the hose is severely distorted, as shown in FIG. 5,     and this phenomenon causes a constricting effect on the inner thigh     of the wearer, as indicated by a thick arrow in FIG. 12.

The purpose of the improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of the present invention is to solve or improve the aforesaid problems of the conventional hose-holding garments.

SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION

An improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of the present invention are equipped with hook-and-loop type of hose-holding devices instead of the conventional button-and-buttonhole type of hose grippers. The improved hose-holding undergarment of the present invention is a garter belt, girdle, bustier, or the like plus a plurality of hose-holding garter straps each of which has a hose-holding hook of predetermined shape and dimension at the free end of the garter strap. The corresponding hose of the present invention have a plurality of strap loops of predetermined shape, dimension, and configuration on the top portion of the hose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a piece of conventional hose (21).

FIG. 2 is a front, elevational view of a conventional button-and buttonhole type of hose gripper (40)

FIG. 3 is a side, elevational view of a hose gripper (closed state) shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side, elevational view of a hose gripper (open state) shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a conventional hose gripper holding the upper portion of conventional hose (21). (The arrows show that the tension of the upper portion of the hose is concentrated on a small spot (button 40B).

FIG. 6 is a piece of corresponding hose (22) of the present invention with a pair of sewn-on straps (22B) and strap loops (not numbered).

FIG. 7 is a front, elevational view of a hose-holding hook (50) at the free end of a garter strap (30A), a corresponding strap loop (22A) with a sewn-on strap (22B) on the upper portion of a piece of hose (22), and a decorative ribbon (22C) at the lower end of the sewn-on strap (22B).

FIG. 8 is a side view of a hose-holding hook (50) and a side, cross-sectional view of a strap loop (22A), sewn-on straps (22B), the upper portion of hose (22), and a decorative ribbon (22C) shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial, enlarged view of FIG. 8, showing the cross-section of the top portion of hose (22) which is sandwiched between the two strands of sewn-on straps (22B) with a strap loop (22A) straddled on the top edge of hose (22).

FIG. 10 is a front view of a hose-holding hook (50) being connected to a strap loop (22A) on the top portion of hose (22). (The arrows show that the tension on the upper portion of hose is distributed throughout the entire portion of the sewn-on strap (not numbered).

FIG. 11 is the front view of several different embodiments of hose-holding hook (50′, 50″, and 50′″) of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a garter belt (30) (worn on a model) showing the way a button-and-buttonhole type of conventional hose gripper (40) holds the upper portion of conventional hose (21) and the way a hose-holding hook (50) of the present invention is connected to a strap loop (22A) on the top portion of a piece of hose (22).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, hose gripper 40 of conventional button-and-buttonhole type is attached to the free end of a garter strap 30A. There are many variations of button-and-buttonhole type of grippers, but the principle of gripping action of these variations are basically the same. That is, a part of the upper portion of hose 21 is squeezed between button 40C (FIG. 5) and a buttonhole 40B which is a pear-shaped aperture on buttonhole frame 40A, as shown in FIG. 5. The arrows in FIG. 5 show that the tension on the upper portion of conventional hose 21 is concentrated on a point (button 40B) so that the top portion of hose 21 is severely distorted.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 10, the principle of the hose-gripping action of the present invention is a hook-and-loop type of grip. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, hose-holding hook 50 on the free end of garter strap 30A is connected to strap loop 22A on the top edge of hose 22. Sewn-on strap 22B is a part of strap loop 22A. Strap loop 22A is made of a piece of strap folded in half, and the upper portion of hose 22 is sandwiched between the two strands of the folded strap, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Then, the two strands of strap are sewn together, leaving loop 22A on top edge of the hose, with “multi-step zigzag stitch (not numbered),” as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10. It is desired that sewn-on straps 22B and garter straps 30A are made of stretchable material. The multi-step zigzag stitch on sewn-on strap 22B is to permit the elasticity of the sewn-on strap 22B.

Hooks 50′, 50″, and 5′″ shown in FIG. 11 are several possible embodiments. The thickness of hose-holding hook 50 is about 1 mm or less when it is made of metal or about 2 mm or less when it is made of plastic. Decorative ribbon 22C (FIGS. 7 and 12) at the lower end of sewn-on strap 22B is to cover the abrupt end of the sewn-on strap 22B and to embellish the sewn-on strap 22B.

Improved hose-holding undergarment of the present invention is a garter belt, girdle, bustier, corset, or the like plus a plurality of garter straps. Garter belt 30 in FIG. 12 is an example. Corresponding hose 22 of the present invention is any type of two piece hose with a plurality of strap loops 22A on predetermined positions on the top portion of the hose. It is desired that the number of garter straps 30A on a hose-holding undergarment is four, and the number of strap loops 22A on each piece of corresponding hose 22 is two. The positions of garter straps 30A on hose-holding undergarment and the positions of strap loops 22A on the top portion of corresponding hose 22 are so configured that garter straps 30A and strap loops 22A are properly matched.

Compared to the conventional button-and-buttonhole type of grippers, several advantages of the hook-and-loop type of hose-holding device of the present invention are as follows:

-   1. The hook-and-loop type of grippers is easier to use. -   2. The grip action of the hook-and-loop type of hose-holding device     is surer so that it will not loosen of its own accord. -   3. Hose-holding hook 50 is thinner (less than 1 mm if it is made of     metal, or less than 2 mm if it is made of plastic) than conventional     hose grippers whose thickness is about 4 mm or more, so that the     thin hose-holding hook minimizes the bumpy sensation on the skin of     the wearer. -   4. The wearer does not have to guess which parts of the hose should     be gripped because corresponding strap loops 22A are already sewn on     the optimum spots on hose 22. -   5. Sewn-on strap 22B helps disperse the tension of the upper portion     of hose 22 to the entire portion of the sewn-on strap 22B, as shown     with arrows in FIG. 10. Such tension dispersion helps decrease the     severe distortion of the upper portion of hose 22, and thus reduces     the constricting effect (indicated by a thick arrow in FIG. 12) of     the upper portion of hose on the inner thigh of the wearer. -   6. The hook-and-loop type of grippers is good even for fishnet hose     or delicate lacy hose. 

1. An improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose comprising a hose-holding undergarment having a plurality of hose-holding garter straps each of which has a hose-holding hook of predetermined shape and dimension on the free end of said garter strap and a corresponding hose having a plurality of strap loops of predetermined dimension and positions on the upper portion of said corresponding hose, whereby said hose-holding hooks on said garter straps of said hose-holding undergarment can be detachably connected to said strap loops on said upper portion of said corresponding hose.
 2. The improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of claim 1, wherein said improved hose-holding undergarment is a garter belt, girdle, bustier, corset, or the like having said hose-holding garter straps with said hose-holding hooks at the free ends of said garter straps.
 3. The improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of claim 1, wherein the number of said garter straps of said hose-holding undergarment is four, and the number of said strap loops on each piece of said corresponding hose is two.
 4. The improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of claim 1, wherein the straps of said garter straps and straps loops are made of stretchable material.
 5. The improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of claim 1, wherein said strap loops on said corresponding hose are sewn on the upper portion of predetermined positions of said hose with multi-step zigzag stitch.
 6. The improved hose-holding undergarment and corresponding hose of claim 1, wherein said hose-holding hooks on said hose-holding straps are made of material selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic. 